LibGuides: Advanced Reading: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Conrad, Zach, et al. "Agricultural Capacity to Increase the Production of Select Fruits and Vegetables in the US: A Geospatial Modeling Analysis." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 14, no. 10, 2017, pp. 1106. ProQuest The capacity of US agriculture to increase the output of specific foods to accommodate increased demand is not well documented. This research uses geospatial modeling to examine the capacity of the US agricultural landbase to increase the per capita availability of an example set of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables were selected based on nutrient content and an increasing trend of domestic production and consumption. Geographic information system models were parameterized to identify agricultural land areas meeting crop-specific growing requirements for monthly precipitation and temperature; soil depth and type; cropland availability; and proximity to existing production centers. The results of these analyses demonstrate that crop production can be expanded by nearly 144,000 ha within existing national production centers, generating an additional 0.05 cup-equivalents of fruits and vegetables per capita per day, representing a 1.7% increase above current total F&V availability. Expanding the size of national crop production centers can further increase the availability of all F&V by 2.5%-5.4%, which is still less than the recommended amount. Challenges to increasing F&V production in the US include lack of labor availability, barriers to adoption among producers, and threats to crop yields from environmental concerns.
Love, David C., et al. "An International Survey of Aquaponics Practitioners." PLoS One, vol. 9, no. 7, 2014. ProQuest, [11 pages] Aquaponics, a combination of fish farming and soilless plant farming, is growing in popularity and gaining attention as an important and potentially more sustainable method of food production. The aim of this study was to document and analyze the production methods, experiences, motivations, and demographics of aquaponics practitioners in the United States (US) and internationally. The survey was distributed online using a chain sampling method that relied on referrals from initial respondents, with 809 respondents meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of respondents were from the US (80%), male (78%), and had at least a high school degree (91%). The mean age of respondents was 47±13 years old. Most respondents (52%) had three years or less of aquaponics experience. Respondents typically raised tilapia or ornamental fish and a variety of leafy green vegetables, herbs, and fruiting crops. Respondents were most often motivated to become involved in aquaponics to grow their own food, for environmental sustainability reasons, and for personal health reasons. Many respondents employed more than one method to raise crops, and used alternative or environmentally sustainable sources of energy, water, and fish feed. In general, our findings suggest that aquaponics is a dynamic and rapidly growing field with participants who are actively experimenting with and adopting new technologies. Additional research and outreach is needed to evaluate and communicate best practices within the field. This survey is the first large-scale effort to track aquaponics in the US and provides information that can better inform policy, research, and education efforts regarding aquaponics as it matures and possibly evolves into a mainstream form of agriculture.
Scharber, Helen, and Anita Dancs. "Do Locavores have a Dilemma? Economic Discourse and the Local Food Critique." Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 33, no. 1, 2016, pp. 121-133. ProQuest, Local food critics have recently argued that locavores, unaware of economic laws and principles, are ironically promoting a future characterized by less food security and more environmental destruction. In this paper, we critically examine the ways in which mainstream economics discourse is employed in arguments to undermine the proclaimed benefits of local food. We focus on several core concepts in economics--comparative advantage, scale, trade and efficiency--and show how they have been used to challenge claims about local food's benefits in the areas of economy, environment, food security, and food quality. After reviewing the arguments, we then evaluate some shortcomings that emerge from this reliance on economic logic and, importantly, we assess what local food proponents may take away from these critiques. We conclude by identifying several pathways for future research.
Sharik, Terry L., et al. "Undergraduate Enrollment in Natural Resource Programs in the United States: Trends, Drivers, and Implications for the Future of Natural Resource Professions." Journal of Forestry, vol. 113, no. 6, 2015, pp. 538-551. ProQuest We gathered undergraduate enrollment data for various fields of study in natural resources (NR) at National Association of University Forest Resources Programs (NAUFRP)-member institutions dating back to 1980. We found that across all geographic regions, enrollment trends were highly cyclical, changing by nearly 50% in a decade or less. Although current aggregate enrollments are roughly equivalent to 1980 levels, student numbers have shifted from traditional consumptive NR fields such as forestry to more interdisciplinary and ecosystembased programs. Female NR enrollments have steadily increased, reaching 41% in 2012 versus 57% in the undergraduate population as a whole. Forestry, however, had the lowest female enrollment levels in 2012 at just 18%. Minority enrollment has also increased, and as of 2012 comprised about 12% of NR enrollment, up from less than 1% in 1973 but still well below the overall undergraduate level of 40%. Minority representation differs among NR fields of study, with forestry below the average. Minority enrollment in most disciplines is dominated by Hispanics, with notable exceptions being wood science/products (Asians) and recreation (blacks). The dramatic decline in forestry enrollments in both absolute numbers and as a proportion of overall NR enrollments from 1980 to 2012 may be due to a number of factors, including (1) changing public values toward forests and forestry, (2) diversification of NR degree offerings, (3) inflexible, science-based curricula associated with accreditation, certification, and federal Office of Personnel Management standards, (4) perceived lack of jobs and concern about low wages, and (5) little attraction to forestry for women and minorities, two student cohorts that have grown significantly in recent decades. These trends offer both challenges and opportunities for the future of the NR profession and forestry in particular.
Steinbuks, Jevgenijs, and Thomas W. Hertel. "Confronting the Food-Energy-Environment Trilemma: Global Land use in the Long Run." Environmental and Resource Economics, vol. 63, no. 3, 2016, pp. 545-570. ProQuest, Economic, agronomic, and biophysical drivers affect global land use, so all three influences need to be considered in evaluating economically optimal allocations of the world's land resources. A dynamic, forward-looking optimization framework applied over the course of the coming century shows that although some deforestation is optimal in the near term, in the absence of climate change regulation, the desirability of further deforestation is eliminated by mid-century. Although adverse productivity shocks from climate change have a modest effect on global land use, such shocks combined with rapid growth in energy prices lead to significant deforestation and higher greenhouse gas emissions than in the baseline. Imposition of a global greenhouse gas emissions constraint further heightens the competition for land, as fertilizer use declines and land-based mitigation strategies expand. However, anticipation of the constraint largely dilutes its environmental effectiveness, as deforestation accelerates prior to imposition of the target.

Advanced Reading

TOP PICKAgriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

TOP PICK
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster